And 'Till Death Do Us Part
by kingdomkeepers365
Summary: "For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part". Jake and Cassandra have been dating for two years. One Christmas Eve, Jake decides its time to pop the question. Now the two are on the way to wedded bliss, but there's a lot to do first. Nothing but fluff here. Multichap detailing Jake and Cassandra's wedding planning, ending with the happy day.
1. Popping the Question

**A/N: I know I know. Another multichap when I have like 5 that I rarely update. I can't stop. Im sorry. I always get new ideas for new stories. This one stems from watching too much Say Yes to the Dress and living with a hiatus for over 6 months. Anyway, this whole fic will be nothing but fluff, just the different details of Jassandra's wedding. Some chapters, like this first one, will be long, some chapters, like one where Cassandra picks her dress, will be short. Hope you enjoy my tomfoolery!  
**

"Merry Christmas!" Jake exclaimed as his sister opened the door to her house. It was Christmas Eve and the Librarian had traveled home to Oklahoma to visit his family.

"Jake!" his sister Harper proclaimed. "You made it! Come in!"

Jake entered the ranch, weighed down with bags full of presents. Behind him, Cassandra stumbled to the door, carrying bags of her own.

"Cassandra! So happy to see you again" Harper smiled. The redhead had been to see Jake's family before. The pair had been dating for almost two years now.

"Great to see you Harper!" she squealed.

It was Cassie's favorite night of the year, and she couldn't be happier than to be spending it with Jake and his family. If her parents were doing anything for Christmas, they hadn't invited her, so when Jake asked her to come along with him to his sister's house, she happily agreed.

Once all of the bags were set down on the floor, Jake enveloped his little sister in a hug. Cassandra embraced her as well.

"Everyone's inside" Harper said. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Jake placed his arm around Cassandra and led her into the living room, where his entire family was gathered.

"Jake!" A shout rang out, and instantly, everyone was up out of their seats and embracing the pair.

Jake's family was large, and even that was an understatement. He was one of 5 children, and all of his siblings were married with children of their own.

There was the oldest, Jackson, with his wife Mia and their children Ava, Elijah and Olivia. Then came Liam with his wife Paisley. They had two children, James and Emma.

Jake was the middle child, the only one of them still unmarried, and also the only one to have ever left Oklahoma.

Harper was married to a man named Ethan . They had two children of their own, Landon and Avery.

Finally there was Sophia, the baby. Married not many years ago to a man named Wyatt, they had one son: Aiden.

Jake was trampled by his nieces and nephews while his siblings and in-laws were all trying to embrace him at the same time.

Cassandra, also met with countless greetings, struggled to place the right name to every face. She hoped that she didn't mess up, or worse, lose control.

"Good to see you're still bringin' Cassandra 'round" Jackson said, patting his brother on the back. Jake laughed, filled with joy from family, the holiday, and especially Cassandra.

He looked over at her, smiling with his sisters. She was radiant, nothing less than perfect in his eyes. She was dressed in a short sleeve red dress with a white collar. With her red curls, she looked something like Little Orphan Annie, save for the green sweater covering her shoulders.

"Uncle Jake Uncle Jake did you bring us presents?" Landon pleaded, hanging onto Jake's leg.

"Yes I did" he laughed. He felt someone tugging on his other pant leg and looked down to see Olivia grinning up at him, teeth missing all over.

Jake smiled and scooped her up in his arms as the girl squealed.

"Well you got bigger since I last saw you" he noted

"I'm six now" Olivia proclaimed. "I'm a big girl."

" 'naw you're still my little cowgirl" Jake stated, beginning to tickle the girl mercilessly.

Cassandra ignored the crowd for a moment as she looked over and stared at him. He was always so great with his nieces and nephews. She knew that she wanted to build a family with him. He would be a wonderful father.

"Hey y'all" Harper called from the kitchen. "Supper's ready"

* * *

"So Cassandra" Paisley asked later that night as the family was eating dinner. "What brings ya here with us this Christmas?"

"Oh my parents were never really big on Christmas" Cassie explained. "They were more practical. We never had anything like this" She indicated the entire space around her, which was covered floor to ceiling in festivity.

"Thank you so much for having me by the way" she said, directing her words towards Harper now. "This is gorgeous."

"You're very welcome Pumpkin" Harper smiled.

"So tell me somethin'" James said bluntly. "You two kids ever gonna get hitched?"

Cassandra froze and Jake choked on his beer. For everyone else, the moment was simply awkward, but he was the only one who had felt a ring box burning a hole in his pocket all night.

"Well I mean we've talked about it" Cassandra answered. "But it hasn't really come up yet. I mean, I'm sure someday…"

"Ya" Jake interrupted, perhaps a little too quickly for his liking. He was just happy that Cassie hadn't replied with something like 'they weren't ready'. From across the table, he shot his brother a glance, hoping that he would get the message to change the subject.

"Well I hope it'll be happenin' soon. I got an itch to go to a weddin'." Cassandra laughed, but Jake continued to glare at his big brother.

"I mean seriously Jakey, you ever gonna put a ring on it?" This time, Jake didn't bother with looks. He kicked Jackson under the table: hard.

"Owwe!" He proclaimed. If he didn't get the message, Harper sure did. She quickly changed the subject.

"Who wants more potatoes?" she asked. Jake smiled weakly at her. She nodded, indicating that she understood.

The dinner continued with not another mention of marriage. Jake knew that that wouldn't last long, but he'd like to get engaged first.

* * *

Later that night, the family sat around the den, warming by the fire. The kids were passed out in front of some Christmas special on the TV, some of them clutching toys. They had opened presents that night, as Christmas Eve was when the entire Stone family always celebrated together.

The next day, some of Jake's siblings would be leaving to celebrate with their spouses families. However, they all still spent the morning together.

Cassandra was leaning on his shoulder, smiling, her eyes focused on the TV. He thought now a better time than ever to do what he had been planning for weeks.

"Hey Cassie" he whispered.

"Ya?" she asked, sitting up.

"Could we talk alone for a minute?"

"Sure" she smiled.

Jake placed his arm around her and led her out the back door into the yard. A light dusting of snow covered the ground, and flurries still danced down in the sky. He couldn't imagine a scene more beautiful.

"Where are we going?" Cassie asked as Jake led her to the middle of the grass.

"Cassie" he began. "I've known you for close to three years now, and I've been lucky enough to call you mine for two of them now. It's been an adventure really, it's had its ups and downs, but there's no doubt that it has been the best time of my life."

Cassandra had frozen still, staring at Jake in wonder and anticipation.

"You make me happier than I ever thought I would be. I mean for heaven's sakes you're the only person I've ever trusted. I know you like your fairytales so much, and I guess the best way to say this is that I believe, Cassandra Cillian, that you are my happily ever after. So…"

Jake sunk down onto one knee and revealed a ring with a pink, heart-shaped, diamond. Cassandra gasped, tears coming to her eyes now.

"Will you Marry Me?"

"Yes!" she proclaimed after a moment's silence, jumping over and wrapping her arms around Jake. They kissed as he stood up.

"No wonder you were acting so strange at dinner!" she cried, laughing. Jake chuckled and slipped the ring onto his fiancée's finger.

For a moment, Cassandra just stood there, staring at the love of her life, in total disbelief that this had actually happened to her. Before she started dating Jake, she never thought that she could be this incredibly happy, and yet here she was, standing in the snow on the happiest day of her life.

Crying, she placed her lips on Jake's again, then squealed as he lifted her up into the air.

From the back door of the house, Jake's family watched with excitement. The couple looked over at the house, noticing them immediately. Cassandra burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry" Jake mumbled, mortified.

"No" Cassie coaxed. "It's sweet"

Jake sighed and put his arm around his fiancé. She leaned her head on his shoulder and they stared up at the sky together, the snow dropping gently onto their shoulders.

"Christmas Eve has been so much more magical since we found out about Santa" Cassandra whispered.

"Ya, I know what you mean" Jake agreed. He sighed again, looking over at the house. "I guess we should go inside now huh?"

"Do we have to?"

The couple laughed. Neither one of them really wanted to rejoin the family. The night right now was perfect, alone together, surrounded by Christmas magic.

"We'll have to do it sooner or later." Jake sighed.

Cassie shrugged her shoulders and grabbed his hand. As the couple approached the house, the family gasped and rushed away from the door. Jake laughed.

When they had re-entered the house, everyone was back in the living room, pretending like nothing had happened. Jake and Cassandra stared at them, expecting some form of cheer or excitement.

"Oh come on now" Jake chided. "Don't act like we didn't see you out there"

Receiving no change in reaction, Cassandra sighed and held up her hand, now clad with the new engagement ring. It was then that the house was filled with screams so loud, they were probably heard down the block.

Cassandra smiled as Jake's sisters surrounded her, hugging her and begging to get a closer look at the ring. Jake's brothers patted him on the back, and nieces and nephews jumped up and down around the floor.

The lovers, now separated by a crowd, looked at each other from across the room and smiled. This, they knew, was the happiest either of them had been.


	2. Announcements

**A/N: Hey guys! I've finally got the next chapter for you. After a certain point, it was giving me some trouble, but I finished this today while watching the marathon. In fact, the finale is on as I'm typing this. Also, warning, this chapter is slightly explicit at the beginning. Enjoy!  
**

Christmas morning, Jake woke up to find Cassandra kissing his neck.

"Merry Christmas" she whispered, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Merry Christmas" He cupped her face in his hand and brought his lips to hers. Cassie let out a joyful sigh, falling back onto her side of the bed.

"We're getting married" she exclaimed.

"Yes we are"

Jake rolled himself over to Cassandra's side of the bed, kissing her once again. Their lips interlocked as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Slowly, she rolled onto her back. Jake hovered over her now as they continued to intertwine.

Cassandra's lips tasted like Christmas cookies. Jake was lost in the softness of her skin, and the smell of her strawberry shampoo still present on her red curls. Her hands were now running through his hair, and he began to slip off the straps of her nightie.

They were so involved in each other, that neither Librarian heard the pounding of tiny footsteps approaching their bed.

"Uncle Jake?" Ava, who was thirteen, spoke up. Jake turned around and froze when he found her with various nieces and nephews by his bedside. Quickly, he moved off of Cassandra, and they both whipped the covers up over themselves.

"What's up kids?" His voice was shaking.

Five year old Emma and seven year old Landon jumped up on the bed, bouncing excitedly. Cassandra pulled the covers up past her nose, hoping to hide her blushing cheeks. She attempted to fix her night-gown as discreetly as possible.

"It's time to open presents Uncle Jake!" Emma proclaimed. "Santa came!"

From the bedside, Avery tugged on his arm. He clutched the mattress, hoping that she wouldn't drag him out of bed, barely clothed.

Smirking, Ava picked up the preschooler and walked with her to the foot of the bed.

"Come on" she advised the other children, motioning towards the door. "Uncle Jake and Aunt Cassie will be down in a few minutes"

Soon, the kids were out of the room, leaving the Librarians alone again. Jake, mortified, lay frozen.

"My thirteen year old niece just had to stop my other nieces and nephews from finding out that I…oh God I'm a horrible Uncle" he muttered. Cassandra giggled underneath the blankets.

Hearing her laugh, Jake couldn't help but smile, all his tension releasing. Soon, he found himself chuckling along with her. He kissed her on the cheek.

"Uh…we should probably change before we go downstairs." Cassandra suggested, looking at her own slinky night gown, and Jake's bare chest.

"Probably" he agreed.

Five minutes later, Jake had put on a T-shirt over his boxers, and Cassandra walked out of the closet wearing a tank top paired with fleece pajama pants covered in reindeer. Jake held out his arm for her to take.

"Ready for your first Stone family Christmas my bride to be?" Cassandra smiled.

"Ready as I'll ever be my dashing groom" she chimed, taking his arm. They walked down to the living room, where screams and squeals could already be heard.

* * *

Late that afternoon, everything was ready for Christmas dinner. Only Jake and Cassandra remained at Harper's. Everyone else was off doing their own thing.

Cassandra wouldn't admit it, but she was a bit grateful that everything was playing out this way. All the excitement had been fun for a while, and she loved Jake's family, but some peace would be very much appreciated. All the noise and commotion had started to give her headaches, and she most definitely couldn't start hallucinating here.

However, now she had a whole new reason to be anxious. Jake's parents were coming to dinner. Sure she had met them before, but she had never met them as Jake's fiancée. Jake assured her that they loved her, but she could never be sure.

She stood in front of a mirror, examining herself. She had put on the green dress that she wore on her first date with Jake. She exhaled, trying to release tension. Jake walked up from behind and wrapped his arms around her.

"You look beautiful" he sighed. She smiled. No matter what the case, he was always able to calm her down. He was her rock, always had been from the moment that they met.

Aside from being her support system, Jake could read Cassandra like a book. Whether she wanted him to or not, he always knew what she was feeling.

"What's wrong darlin'?" he asked, sensing that she was upset.

"It's just…" Cassandra stammered. She stood tense in Jake's arms. "Your parents…"

"My parents adore you!"

"Yes, as your girlfriend not as the girl about to be their daughter in law!"

"Cassie" Jake turned her to face him and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Why on Earth wouldn't they be happy that we're getting married?"

"Because I'm not from Oklahoma. I'm not like anyone in your family. I'm…different"

"So am I!"

"Yes but they don't know that" Casandra spoke low, staring at the floor.

Jake hurt for his fiancée. He knew what it was that she feared. He had heard all the stories about her parents and her childhood

"Cassie" he grabbed her hand, slowly running his thumb over the back of her palm. "Listen to me. You don't have to worry about being different here. My family loves you, that's not going to change"

Cassie looked up and smiled at him, that beautiful grin that filled him with every happy emotion in existence.

She stiffened again upon hearing the doorbell ring. Jake squeezed her hand tightly.

"You can do this" he whispered. Slowly, she allowed herself to move her legs, and exit the bedroom.

A minute later, the couple descended the stairs. They were met by an image of Jake's parents taking off coats, greeting his family. His mother's head turned towards the stairs.

"Jake!" she exclaimed. Jake and Cassandra smiled. The woman's cheerfulness filled the room, affecting everyone in it. They walked down to greet the couple.

"And Cassandra! How lovely to see ya!"

"It's lovely to see you too Mrs. Stone" she giggled, hugging her future mother-in-law. " " She turned to address Jake's father.

"I told you sweet pea, call me Georgia!"

"And call me Luke" Jake's father added.

Cassandra chucked, the gesture making her slightly more comfortable. Still, Jake could sense that she was still tense. After embracing his parents, he rushed over to place an arm around her.

"Let's sit down at the table shall we?" he suggested. "Sounds like Harper's got somethin' real good cookin'"

Cassandra smiled at him, grateful for his efforts to keep the situation moving. She wasn't sure how she'd get through it if there was any kind of stillness.

Bringing her closer to him, Jake led her to the dining room, where they sat down for Christmas dinner.

* * *

Ten minutes later, bread and cheese was on the table. Everyone sat around, exchanging stories of the years past. The children played, pushing food around their plates.

"So I'm so happy to see you two together" Georgia said, leaning toward the couple. Cassandra smiled, placing her head on Jake's shoulder. He held her hand under the table, keeping her anchored to reality.

"You know, I'm sure it won't be too long before you're a part of this family."

Harper slammed her knife onto the table.

'Jake!" she scolded. "Did you not call Mama last night and tell her the big news?"

"Well I was planning on telling mom and pa in person, before someone went and spoiled it!" Jake snapped.

Georgia coiled back in guilt, while Mr. and Mrs. Stone had frozen where they sat. Georgia stared at Cassandra with her mouth wide open, silently questioning what she had just heard.

Jake squeezed Cassandra's hand tighter, knowing that this would be the hardest moment of all for her. Panic worked against her, and right now they couldn't afford any hallucinations.

Cassandra grinned sheepishly, shaking, and placed her other hand on the table, displaying the engagement ring gleaming on her finger.

"Oh!" Georgia squealed. "Finally! We've got a weddin' to plan! It's been too long since Sophie and Wyatt got hitched!" She had risen out of her chair now. Jake and Cassandra grinned at each other, struggling to hold in their laughter.

"You know Jakey after a while I gave up on you. And then you met Cassie and now look at you. My baby's getting married! Oh Cassandra have you started dress huntin' yet? My friend Linda's daughter owns this cute little shop. Oh and for a venue…"

"Ma!" Jake shouted, cutting off the chaos. "Give us some space. We haven't even been engaged 24 hours"

"Oh." Georgia sat back down in her seat, embarrassed. "I was just excited"

Cassandra buries her head in Jake's shoulder, stifling laughter.

"Well" Harper chimed, breaking the awkward silence. "I reckon my potatoes are about ready. Avery you wanna help mommy?"

Four year old Avery toddled off to the kitchen behind her mother, and everyone tried to resume Christmas dinner as normal.

* * *

Later that night, Jake and Cassandra burst through the backdoor into the Library.

"Well" Jake stated "I'll call that a memorable Christmas"

"Yes indeed" Cassandra smiled, quickly kissing Jake. "It feels good to be home though"

"I'll agree with you there. If I had to hear one more wedding suggestion…."

Cassandra threw her head back with hysterical laughter. She cuddled in close to her fiancée. She had barely let go of him since they got engaged.

"Well no one's here yet it seems. You wanna change into something more comfortable?"

"That sounds lovely."

The Librarians headed to their room, and five minutes later returned to the main room, Cassandra in her pajamas, Jake in jeans and a T-shirt.

The others had already returned. They were gathered around the table, and Flynn was taking off Eve's coat. They must have just returned from dinner.

"Hey you two" Eve said. "How was Oklahoma?"

"Wonderful" Cassandra chimed.

"How about you" Jake asked. "Did y'all have a nice Christmas?"

"It was good" Eve answered. "Pretty much your average holiday.'

"But you two seem overly excited" Ezekiel snapped. "I mean I know that Cassandra loves Christmas but..."

"Well" Jake said, placing his arm around Cassandra. "We actually have some news to deliver."

There was silence for a moment before Cassandra held up a ringed finger. This time it was not hard. This was her family. She didn't fear sharing anything with them. This time, she acted just as excited as everyone around her. The room exploded. Ezekiel patted Jake on the back.

Then, although all of them had each just come from their own celebration, threw a party. It was simple, the only kind of party that was always perfect for them. They couldn't have asked for a better engagement party.

That night, Cassandra lay in bed, Jake's arms around her, happier than she ever remembered being. Her life was going places she always thought it never would. Joining up with the Library really was the best thing that ever happened to her.

Her happiness was briefly ended when she came to a revelation. Jake felt her freeze up. He switched on the light and turned to face her.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Cassandra's voice came out hushed.

"I have to tell my parents" she choked.


	3. Mr and Mrs Cillian

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm really happy with how quickly I got this chapter done. Enjoy!  
**

Cassandra stood frozen in front of the door to her childhood home. It looked welcoming from the outside, but she knew what lay behind those walls. Inside that house were repressed memories, judgement, and nothing but a cold feeling of exclusion. Despite what the postcard image suggested, there was no love in this home.

"So this is where you grew up huh?" Jake observed. "Long Island, New York"

"Yes" Cassandra choked, holding her breath. Jake placed an arm around her waist.

"You can do this" he assured her. "I'll be right here the whole time"

Cassandra wanted to turn away from the door. She didn't know why she had bothered coming here. She could already feel that it was not going to end well.

Panic set in. Memories flooded her of nights being shut in her room, forced to study for hours on end. One night, in particular would not leave her mind. It felt as if she was there again, watching her parents dump all of her trophies, everything she had ever been proud of, off of the shelf.

This time she really did turn away, trying to push past Jake to run back down the front walkway. He grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Cassie, Cassie look at me" he urged. Her tear filled eyes met his, breaking his heart. "No matter what happens, remember, they can't control you anymore. You've got the life you wanted, you're happy. You call the shots. The minute they upset you enough and you wanna leave, you can march right out this door. But I do think you owe it to these people to at least let them know their daughter is getting married."

"I know" Cassandra whispered, slowly calming down. "I'm just scared."

"You have me" Jake squeezed her hand. "If you start to freak out, think of your happy memories, just like you do to get out of the hallucinations. Stay anchored. Think of home"

Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief. Jake always knew what to say. Turning towards the door, she let new images fill her mind: Jake down on one knee, Ezekiel laughing about some stupid joke, Flynn putting cake on Eve's nose at their wedding. Finally, she saw herself in a beautiful wedding dress, getting married to Jake, and thought of the home that they would create.

It would not be a home like this one. It would have happiness, and peace, and above all love. Renewed by newfound joy, she slowly brought her hand up and knocked on the red door. A brunette woman about Jake's age opened the door.

"Cassandra?" she asked.

Cassie squeezed Jake's hand tightly, trying her hardest to focus on her anchor. It was rapidly becoming harder and harder to avoid the fearful memories trying to creep into her mind.

"Hi Melody" she swallowed. "Are Mom and Dad home? I have some news and I thought that it was best I deliver it in person"

"Your Tumor didn't come back did it?"

"What…no. Look, can I just come in?"

The woman stepped aside, looking confused. Cassandra, still holding tightly to her fiancée, led him inside.

"Who's this?" Melody asked, looking at Jake

"Well actually" Cassandra stammered, hoping that the subject wouldn't come up this quickly. "That's kind of the news. Simplified version, this is Jake. Jake this is my sister Melody"

"Pleasure to meet ya" Jake held out his hand, trying his hardest to make a good first impression. He wanted this experience to be as easy as possible for his girl. Melody seemed reluctant, but shook his hand none the less, grinning sheepishly.

Cassandra faced another onset of panic when she entered the den. There, sitting and reading the newspaper, were her parents. She hadn't seen them in ten years, maybe more. She had barely contacted them, save for a letter when her cancer was cured.

Her mother noticed them first. Jake wouldn't mention it, but Cassandra looked exactly like her. With her red curls and big blue eyes, right now he could be looking at his fiancée in 30 years.

"Cassandra?" the woman asked. Her father looked up. They were in deep now. There was no turning back. "Is that you?"

"Hi mom"

"What are you doing back here dear?" her father asked.

"Well I have some news. Could we maybe sit down?" she indicated Jake next to her.

It was only then that Mr. and Mrs. Cillian noticed the man standing next to their daughter, holding her hand.

"O…of course darling. Please come in" her mother stammered.

Cassandra inched toward the couch slowly, trembling with every step. The feel of the linen couch cushions underneath her brought back childhood memories again. She focused instead on the memories attached to the feel of Jake's hand, which she hadn't let go of.

"How are you doing?" her father asked. "The letter you sent us, we were so shocked, and we never heard from you after that"

"I'm doing well" Cassandra assured him. She felt slightly relieved, warmed by the thought that her father was concerned about her. "I'm sorry I didn't write again I was really busy" she lied.

The truth was she didn't want to write back to her parents. Maybe if she had heard back from them, that would've been different. When they found the magic to heal her tumor, she wanted to start a new, maybe rekindle the relationship with her family. That's why she wrote them. When there was no response though, she knew things weren't going to change.

"We wanted to write too" her mother added "But we were also busy"

"Ya, I'm sure" Jake mumbled. Cassandra slapped his leg.

"So" she continued. "Anyway…I guess I'll get right to why I came here." Fueled by anger, Cassandra no longer held back. "This is Jacob Stone. We started dating a little over a year ago, and, well…on Christmas Eve he asked me to marry him, and I said yes. So I'm engaged"

The reveal was met by utter silence. Cassandra's father's jaw was on the floor. Her mother simply looked confused. She didn't immediately notice, but in the corner, Melody was beaming.

"Cassie" she exclaimed. "That's…" she was cut off by Jane Cillian.

"A very irresponsible decision" Her voice was stern, angry. "I thought you were smarter than that" While one of Cassandra's hands tightened around Jake's, the other balled into a fist.

"Excuse me?" she snapped.

"How do you expect to live in a marriage, to have a family with your condition?"

"The brain cancer is gone Mom" Cassandra rose from the couch slightly. Jake pulled her down, trying his hardest to keep things under control, though he had been silently fuming since they sat down.

"Cancers are notorious for coming back Cassandra" Her father joined in the on the torment now. Cassandra frowned, losing any hope that things would change between the two of them. "Besides, you still have synesthesia, with full on hallucinations!"

"That doesn't stop me from living my life!" Cassandra was yelling now. She was not afraid, only enraged. "Just because I'm different from most everyone else, that doesn't mean I shouldn't get to be happy, to be in love! Jake makes me happy!"

"If you get married, you are not the only one living your life anymore" her mother continued. "You are sharing every aspect of it with your spouse. You are not only living with your condition, you are asking someone else to. That is very selfish"

Jake could not hold in his emotions anymore. He rose to his feet.

"Maam I love your daughter" he stated. "I have since the day we met. I loved her with her brain cancer, I love her with her synesthesia, I just love her, no matter what. So I'm going to marry her, because we both deserve to live a happy life!"

"What about expenses?" her father asked "You never finished high school Cassandra. How do you expect to get a job that pays well enough to support a family?"

"Jake and I both have amazing jobs at this research facility" Cassandra used the lie she always used to describe her work. "It's where we met, it pays well, and it's the perfect job for me. I handle all the math and science work. Plus, Jake is a writer."

"A writer?" her mother snapped. "Cassandra you know that isn't practical. A job in the liberal arts won't put a roof over your heads, or put bread on the table if you decide to start a family"

Neither Jake nor Cassandra was seated any longer. They stood next to each other, knowing, without saying a word, that they were both ready to leave the house.

"We have the other jobs!" Jake shouted.

"I can't believe it" mumbled. "My daughter is marrying an artist"

Cassandra's face was nearly as red as her hair.

"Your daughter" she shouted "Is marrying the most wonderful man in the world, who treats her better than you ever did. More importantly, your daughter is marrying the love of her life."

Cassandra felt herself on the verge of tears. Forcefully, she dragged Jake toward the foyer. Jake opened the door and led her outside.

"And if you're so opposed to this marriage" Cassandra continued. "Don't expect an invitation to the wedding"

With that, she slammed the door behind her, and, once she was back on the sidewalk, burst into tears.


	4. Reunions

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter was a little later. It gave me some trouble. Anyway, here it is now. I hope you like it!  
**

Jake chased Cassandra as she raced down the street. When he finally caught up with her, he grabbed her and pulled her shaking body into him. She buried her head in his chest, soaking his shirt with tears. He stroked her curls, knowing that there was nothing he could do for her but be there.

He held her in front of him and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hey hey hey" he urged. "Look it's gonna be okay. I love you. We are going to have an amazing wedding, and marriage. And if we're blessed with the opportunity, I reckon you're gonna be the best mother ever" Cassandra smiled in spite of herself.

"I know" she sniffed. "I love you too. I expected this to happen, but it's just really hitting me that my parents are not gonna be at my wedding."

Jake wrapped his arm around her, and her head dropped onto his shoulder. He kissed it and rubbed his hand up and down her side, bringing warmth and comfort in the cold, New York, winter air.

"You know what?" he said "We'll go home, and I'll cook up your favorite dinner, and we'll cuddle up on the couch and watch Matilda, which I also know is your favorite."

Cassandra smiled again and wiped away the last of her tears.

"That sounds lovely. You're the best"

"Cassandra! Wait!" a voice called. Footsteps pounded the sidewalk behind them. Cassandra turned to see Melody standing in front of her out of breath.

"I have nothing to say to you" she snapped.

"Cassie please. Look I'm sorry I didn't speak up in there. Mom and Dad cut me off before I could say how happy I was for you"

"It's more than just what happened in there"

"What are you talking about?" Jake stood back, confused, waiting to intervene at any second.

"I was alone in everything!" Cassandra yelled. She was starting to tear up again. "I had _cancer_ , and I was alone."

Melody looked down, shying away.

"We had always been allies in that house. Mom and Dad would get crazy about grades, and you would come into my room, and help me with homework, and it was the one time a day I could joke around, and act like a kid. You were all I had!"

"Cassie…"

"No! It's my turn to talk. When I needed you more than ever, when I was _dying_ , and still all Mom and Dad could focus on was school, you abandoned me!"

"Don't you think I was scared too?" Melody retorted. The two sisters were in a full blown argument now. Jake knew he had to just let it happen. "Remember, we grew up in the same house. I had the same pressures on me. I was in college. I was afraid of what would happen if I told them they were wrong."

"I WAS 15!" Cassandra's voice cracked as she screamed, releasing over twenty years worth of bottled up anger for the first time. "I wouldn't have cared how much you did. I would have been happy if you just came into my room and held me when I cried. I had just lost _everything_. I needed my big sister"

"I know Cassie" Melody was starting to cry now too. "I regret what happened every day. I should have supported you more. I can't turn back time, but I can be here for you now"

Cassandra stopped for moment and looked her sister up and down. Her voice calmed, though her arms were still crossed tightly across her chest.

"What about the in-between?" she asked. "After I moved out of the house, I was alone with everything. I was in the hospital with cancer related issues multiple times, and I didn't get so much as a phone call from you. I was lonely for so many years"

"I didn't think you wanted to hear from me after what I did" Melody admitted. Crying, she approached Cassandra and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, and I really hope you can forgive me, because I'm so excited for this wedding." She glanced over at Jake, then stared at her sister, locking eyes with her. "After we got the news I didn't know if I'd see you reach 18 and now look at you. My baby sister is getting married."

Jake glanced at Cassandra and saw tears filling her eyes. He studied her stance, watching the familiar view of her releasing her tension. He smiled. This was going to end well.

"I missed you so much Mel" Cassandra cried.

Melody laughed as her tears turned to those of joy. She wrapped her arms around her little sister, pulling her close. Cassandra held her tightly in return.

Jake smiled at the scene. Cassandra finally had someone. Sure she had him and the rest of the Librarians, but she needed this. He had family, she needed it to. The woman he loved was watching her life change for the better, right before his eyes.

"I hate to break this up" Jake interrupted, clearing his throat "But the next train leaves in 15 minutes, and it's a ten minute walk to the station."

"You're not leaving yet are you?" Melody asked.

"Well where else are we supposed to go?" Cassie explained, wiping away her tears. "The reunion with Mom and Dad was a bust. I haven't lived in this town since I was 19 years old. What else is there for me to do?"

"Are you kidding? You're engaged! We have to celebrate, and you and I both know that all the best celebrations on Long Island happen at one place."

"The Diner!" the sisters said at the same time. Jake did a double take. Five minutes back together and the pair was already doing freaky things.

"French fries and milkshakes?" Cassandra asked excitedly.

"French fries and milkshakes" Cassandra jumped up and down.

"Come on" Melody continued. "We'll take my car"

The sisters turned around and began to run, suddenly engaged in frantic conversation.

"Hello?" Jake called, waving his hands in the air. Cassandra turned around and froze.

"Ooops. Sorry honey. Come on let's go get lunch!"

Jake shook his head and chased after his fiancée. He was elated. Finally, he got to see a part of her past that wasn't tragic. Finally, he was sure she could be happy.

Fifteen minutes later, Melody had pulled up in front of the Sherwood Diner. Cassandra bounced up in down in her seat.

"I missed this place" she exclaimed "I haven't been here since the seventh grade"

After exiting the car, she grabbed Jake's hand. She swung their arms back and forth as they walked towards the diner.

"Melody used to take me here after school" she explained. "We would tell my parents we were going to study groups, but really we would just come here and unwind."

Cassandra nearly lost her footing when they walked inside.

"Oh it still looks the same" she squealed. Melody smiled at her before walking up to the matordee to get a table.

Cassandra leaned her head on Jake's shoulder. This day had turned out to be pretty amazing after all. Having her fiancée by her side only made it better. As she stood there in absolute bliss, her eyes fell on a woman standing across the lobby.

She searched her memory, trying to place her. When the woman turned, and she saw her full face, it clicked instantly.

"Samantha Bennet?" she called.

The woman's eyes met hers and a look of astonishment crossed her face.

"Cassandra?" she asked. Cassie sprung from Jake's grip and rushed towards the woman. They rushed into a tight embrace. Jake was confused.

"How are you?" Cassandra squealed.

"Me?" Samantha explained. "How are you? I haven't seen you since we were 18."

The girls hugged again, rocking back and forth. Jake walked up and tapped Cassandra on the shoulder.

"Uh Cassie?" he asked. "Who's this?"

"Oh I'm sorry" Cassandra laughed. "This is Sam. We were best friends growing up. Sam this is my fiancée Jake"

Jake and Samantha shook hands. Jake was beaming. Here was another person from Cassandra's life. This was turning out to be a much better day than either one of them had expected.

"You're getting married?"

"Guilty" Cassie chuckled, holding up her ringed finger. "We got engaged on Christmas Eve"

"Cassie I'm so happy for you" Samantha cried, grabbing her hands. "Anyway…what are you doing here?"

"Oh. We came to tell my parents about the engagement"

"Didn't go well I bet" Cassandra shook her head.

"Melody was excited though, so we decided to go out for lunch. What are you doing?"

"Oh you remember my little brother" Samantha indicated the man standing behind her. Cassandra smiled brightly.

"Danny!" she exclaimed, rushing over to hug him.

"We were just having some lunch ourselves" Samantha explained.

Cassandra looked back and forth between her old friends. She could hardly believe her eyes. This was her life. This was what she always imagined as a kid, before everything fell apart. Finally, it was all coming true.

"We should all get a table together, if you're up for it" Samantha added.

"That sounds lovely" Cassandra chimed. "We have so much catching up to do"

Twenty minutes later, Cassandra, Samantha, Jake, Melody and Danny were all seated around a table in a booth, laughing.

"So" Melody pushed. "I never even heard how you two got together. Don't hold back. I want to hear all the fascinating details"

Cassandra chuckled at her sister's playfulness. She felt like she was back in the seventh grade, telling Melody all about her secret crush.

"Well, we had had a rough day out in the research field, but it ended well. I remember that day. I could tell we were looking at each other in a whole new light. And then that night, as I'm getting ready to go to bed, he just shows up at my door with a sunflower" Cassandra's eyes lit up as she told the story. Jake watched her, overflowing with pure love

"I picked it because they're bright and sunny like her" Cassandra cuddled in close to Jake. Melody and Samantha sighed like teenagers watching a cheesy rom-com.

What the couple neglected to tell the others, and what they neglected to tell everyone except their fellow Librarians, was that day was no ordinary day in the field. They almost didn't make it out that day, and they wouldn't have if it weren't for Cassandra. She held out her hand to Jake and asked him to trust her, that she could lead them out of the dark tunnel.

To the surprise of them both, he grabbed her hand, and when they were back to safety, he couldn't help himself anymore. He immediately pulled her in and kissed her hard, and she didn't hold back. Neither of them said anything though, until he showed up with the sunflower.

That was their love story. Sure, it had to stay a secret, but to them it was timeless. Certainly better than any piece of classic literature Jake had ever thrown himself into.

"You two are so adorable" Samantha squealed. "I'm so happy you found love Cassandra. You deserve it more than anyone I know."

Jake kissed his fiancée on the head, and she scrunched up her face in delight. He beamed. She never looked cuter than when she did that.

Just then, David, who felt a little awkward, cleared his throat.

"Food's here." He announced. Cassandra clapped her hands excitedly as her dish was placed in front of her.

Immediately she picked up a French fry and dipped it into her chocolate milkshake.

"Ah!" Jake exclaimed, scooting back away from her. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"This was my favorite treat when I was growing up" She took a bite of the concoction and a look of pure satisfaction crossed her face.

"Oh my god" she sighed "Still tastes exactly the same."

"Fries dipped in a milkshake?" Jake asked. He was disgusted, simply staring at Cassandra and what she had just put in her mouth.

"Don't knock it till' you try it" she argued. "I know it sounds gross, but it's so good"

"I used to love them dipped in Chocolate Mousse" Melody added. Cassandra nodded vehemently as she chomped on another fry.

"I always thought it was crazy too" Samantha whispered, leaning in to Jake. He smiled.

"So" Melody pushed. "Tell us more Cassie. Come on we want to know everything."

"No, no we've heard about me all day. I want to know about you two" Cassandra insisted.

"Well I'm married with two kids" Samantha said

Cassandra's face lit up, but only Jake saw the hurt hidden deep in her eyes. He looked the same way every time he gained another in-law, or niece, or nephew. He was happy the people he loved were so happy, but there was some degree of regret that he didn't have it.

For Cassandra it was even worse. She had lived most of her life far removed from any chance of having anything like this. Not only that, but she had missed out on all these things in her best friend's life. When they were growing up she thought of Samantha like another sister, and yet she knew nothing of how her life had progressed.

"That's amazing" she cried.

"Yeah it really is" Samantha smiled. "You have to come over one day and meet everyone"

"I would love to" The friends were silent for a moment, staring at each other reminiscently.

"Alright" Samantha interrupted. "Enough of the tears. The real news is that Danny here just got his first book published!"

"Danny!" Cassandra exclaimed, smacking him on the arm. "That's amazing!" Danny grinned shyly and shrugged.

The table was loud with discussion now. Jake asked Samantha about her kids. Cassandra asked Danny about his book. Despite it all, Melody still bore a frown on her face. Cassandra, still completely in tune with her sister after so many years, noticed it immediately.

"What's wrong Mel?" she asked.

"Oh nothing." Melody sighed. "It's just I don't have anything all that exciting to talk about"

"Oh come on, I'm sure there's something" Cassandra insisted.

"I'm a professor at NYU. That's it."

"But that's what you always wanted!"

"I know, but look at you! You're so happy, and in love, and I've never really had that. I've come close a couple of times but…" She paused

"The point is, you strayed from what we were always told. You separated yourself from Mom and Dad and now you have this amazing life…me, I got so focused on my work and their idea of perfection that I never allowed myself time for anything else. Now I'm 43, unmarried, and I guess…I've just never had what really matters in life."

Cassandra reached across the table and grabbed her sister's hands.

"You have us now" she urged "You have me. I am here, and I will help you be happy. Look on the bright side. You have your dream job. That's all you ever talked about when we were growing up."

Melody grinned briefly and stared down at the table.

"I just wish I had seen the bigger picture a little bit earlier you know?" she whispered.

Cassandra could relate to her big sister. Most of her life had been spent feeling the same way: incomplete. She knew how Melody felt. Still, she knew that she had it easier. She'd had the Library for the past 3 years, Jake for two. Not only that, but her sister had five years on her. She was lucky, she had found her home. She knew extending that to her sister would be one of the most important things she could do.

 **A/N: So that's that! This chapter was fun for me, because I'm from Long Island, so I loved writing about some of the culture. And I'm pretty sure I've been to the Sherwood Diner. Also, yes, in middle school I used to love dipping my fries in chocolate mousse, and it's delicious.**

 **So, aside from that little tidbit, I have some news! If you're not already following me on Tumblr at kingdomkeepers365, and you don't know, I've started a tag for this fic! There I'm going to post visuals from the chapter, chapter announcements, sneak peeks, and more. I'm so excited for it. To find it, just use the tag "and till death do us part". Hope you all enjoy, and I'm super excited to keep sharing this fic with you. Until we meet again my little LITs!**


	5. Surprise!

The next day, Cassandra was fast asleep, cuddled in next to Jake, when the doorbell rang. The couple had moved out of the Library and into an apartment together a few months prior.

She rolled out of bed, threw on a bathrobe, and stumbled to the door. She opened the door and immediately screamed, as someone threw a handful of rice in her face.

Jake, hearing this, came immediately running from the bedroom, half-dressed and wielding an axe. His sister Sophie, standing in the doorway, jumped back in horror.

"Goddamnit Soph!" he panted "What the hell?!"

"I might ask you why you're carrying an axe!"

Jake hesitated. He couldn't very well tell his sister that he was given axe-wielding skills by a magical storybook.

"It's New York" Cassandra exclaimed, thinking quickly. "It's dangerous here. We need to protect ourselves"

Sophie, who had never been outside of Oklahoma until now, seemed confused at first, but then nodded. Jake breathed a sigh of relief. That was his Cassie: always thinking one step ahead.

"You still haven't answered my question Soph" Jake continued. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, right!" she remembered. Just like Cassandra, he was met with a handful of rice to the face.

"SURPRISE!" Sophie yelled. "We're throwing you an engagement party!"

"What?" Cassandra grumbled, wiping sleep from her eyes.

"The whole family came down here to visit, and we're having an engagement party for y'all…tonight!"

"Soph" Jake muttered. "You realize that it's 6 o'clock in the morning on a weekend right?"

"Oh Jake you silly goose!" she laughed, smacking his arm. "I guess you got out of practice waking up early, being off the farm so long."

Jake and Cassandra looked at her, stone tired and unamused.

"Oh come on" she pushed "You used to get up at 5:30 and drive the tractor 'round"

It took Sophie a few more moments of awkward silence to realize that she was not going to be met with any laughs.

"Anyway" she sighed. "Here's the information" She handed Cassandra a piece of paper. "And if there's anyone else y'all need me to invite, just let me know"

"Oh no we'll take care of it." Cassie rushed her words. "Thanks so much Sophie. This was really sweet of you all"

"No problem! Do y'all wanna go out for breakfast?"

"Oh no" Jake insisted, already grabbing the apartment door and starting to swing it shut. "I think we'll manage on our own."

"Oh ok…" Sophie stammered. Jake continued to shut the door.

"Night Soph!" He called, too tired to realize what he was saying.

"But…"

"See you later!" Cassandra called. Then, the door was closed and the space was their own again.

The couple looked at each other for a moment, knowing that there were a ton of things that could now be done with their morning.

"Back to bed?" Jake suggested.

"Way ahead of you"

That evening, Jake was putting on his shoes, ready to head out the door. He moved frantically, knowing they should've been out the door fifteen minutes ago. They were going to be late to their own engagement party.

"Cassie!" he called to the bedroom. "Come on darlin' we gotta go!"

When she walked out, he froze. Time did not exist in his mind any longer. How could it, when he was looking at the most beautiful woman in the world?

She was wearing a white dress covered in butterflies, all full of bright pinks and blues. He had never seen her in it before, which was strange, because he thought he had seen her in every outfit she owned.

Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, another rare occurrence, with curls falling by the sides. She smiled at him and her bright blue eyes lit up. Even before he knew he loved Cassandra, that was always the one thing Jake noticed: her eyes.

He couldn't believe it looking at her. He was marrying this woman, who he was sure could be the only beauty that any poet had ever described. The way they spoke, they couldn't possibly be talking about anyone else; there was no one else more beautiful than her.

Jake chuckled.

"What?" Cassandra asked, always nervous that something was wrong, that one day all of her happiness was going to crumble right before her.

"Nothing" he muttered. "I just…every time I look at you I'm in awe all over again at just how beautiful you are"

Cassandra stared at him, tears filling her eyes as the words came out of his mouth. He was the first person to ever see her in this way, to really love her for all she was. Every time he said something like that, it was like the first time. She remembered all over again why she loved him. She still couldn't believe that it was all actually real. Finally, happily ever after had happened to her.

She walked over and kissed him, getting lost in the feel of his lips against hers. Love smelt like old books and the country, a sensation Cassandra had discovered when she started dating Jake. She would look at him and smell fresh cut grass, or hay, or the rustic cologne that covered his collar.

After they pulled apart she reached down and squeezed his hand, never willing to let go of what she never wanted to lose.

"Let's go" she smiled, and the couple headed off in bliss to their celebration.

They arrived to the address Sophia had given them a half hour later. They walked in and gave their names to the matordee, who led them to a back room. They were in awe at the sight.

The restaurant was right off of the water, and the back room looked right out on the gorgeous view of Manhattan Harbor. It was like a backyard enclosed in glass walls. Pavement lay below their feet. The restaurant kept the area heated for the winter, so it was almost like they had stepped into another season.

All heads turned to them immediately when they entered. Cheers erupted, and soon, friends and family were rushing them. This was definitely more than they were expecting.

Harper came running over to them first.

"Surprise Jakey!" she exclaimed.

"What did you guys do?!" Jake marveled. "Booking this room, with a view of the water? That would cost a small fortune here!"

"Oh don't be silly! All the siblings pitched together, because we wanted to do this for y'all! Besides, we didn't reserve the room, just the tables. We're just lucky 'cause it's not busy tonight and they haven't needed to fill up the rest of this space yet."

"Thank you Harper" Cassandra interrupted, expressing what no one else yet had. "This is lovely"

She and Jake walked even further into the room and were even more amazed. A few steps towards their table and they were surrounded by the people they loved. On a small stage in the corner, a lounge singer was performing.

"Wow" Cassandra remarked. "When your family says they're throwing a party they really mean it!"

"What, you didn't get that from the Christmas celebrations?" Jake replied snarkily. Cassandra rolled her eyes and linked her arm through his.

Eve and Flynn approached them next, also arm in arm.

"Congratulations you two!" Flynn exclaimed.

"We're really just so happy for you" Eve added.

"Well thank you two for coming" Jake replied. "We're so happy you could be here"

"Some party" Eve marveled.

"It's so much more than we were expecting" Cassandra remarked. She looked around the space and swallowed hard.

After three years of being their Guardian, Eve could read her Librarians like a book. She knew every expression and what it meant. Example: she knew immediately that Cassandra was nervous.

"Overwhelmed?" she asked.

"Just a little" Cassandra admitted.

"There are two seats right across from us" Flynn said.

Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief, happy to know she'd be spending the night around those she felt most comfortable with. Jake gave her a quick kiss and led her to the table. She smiled. She was convinced now that this would be a great night.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter LITs! 17 days until season 2 can you believe it?! More engagement party coming! It's been a little while so I wanted to give you guys what I had now! Check the tumblr tag for Cassie's dress! Until we meet again! I'm about to start work on the next chapter!**


	6. The Way You Look Tonight

**A/N: Me? Updated a fanfic three days after I posted the last chapter? What?! I swear this is a new sensation. It's never happened before. Anyway. here's the rest of the engagement party as promised! Enjoy!**

Cassandra was happily chatting away with Eve and Flynn when someone tapped her shoulder from behind. She turned around to find Samantha standing there with wide open arms. She practically jumped from her seat to hug her friend. It had been over 24 hours, and she still couldn't believe Samantha was back in her life.

"I'm so glad you could make it!" she exclaimed.

"Well I'm happy to be here!" Sam replied. "And my god don't you look gorgeous"

"Thank you" It was then that Cassandra noticed the man standing shyly nearby.

"Is this…?"

"Oh yes!" Samantha answered "Cassandra, I'd like you to meet my husband Nate. Nate this is my dearest friend Cassie"

Cassandra shook his hand. He offered his congratulations, and introduced himself to Jake as well.

"There're more seats at our table" Cassandra said. "Please sit with us"

Sam and Nate sat down and introduced themselves to Flynn and Eve. The waiter arrived and began to take their drink orders.

"I'll have an iced tea" Eve said.

Cassandra was surprised. By now they had all been out to dinner countless times, and Colonel Baird always ordered the same glass of wine. The sudden change in appetite didn't seem to add up, but Cassie decided to ignore it, and ordered her own drink.

* * *

Half an hour later, all of invited guests chatted away at their tables, munching on various appetizers. Danny had arrived a while ago, and now sat next to his brother in-law. Cassandra was going on about some old date she and Jake had had, when another familiar face appeared from behind her.

"Hi sorry I'm late" Melody said. "Traffic was a bitch!"

Cassandra got up to hug her sister, and indicated to her the empty seat left at the table, which was next to Danny.

Melody sat down, introducing herself to everybody who didn't already know her.

"Hi" Danny said.

Cassandra was almost sure she saw him smiling a little more widely than he had before. She immediately turned her attention back to the breadsticks. She was noticing way too many things for her liking during this dinner.

The clinging of a spoon against glass sounded from a few tables over. All heads turned to Harper, who was now standing up.

"If I could get yawl's attention for just a moment please" she announced. "I'd like to make a quick toast"

Cassandra eyed Jake, questioning if he knew about this previously. Judging by the confused look on his face, she could tell that this was a surprise to them both.

"I consider myself to be a very fortunate woman, because I have literally known Jacob Stone for my entire life. Ever since I was one day old, my brother Jake has been a part of it. There're only two people on this earth that can say that: me, and my little Sister Sophia. However, I am older than little Sophie over here, so I have known Jake longer.

My big brothers were always my favorite people in the whole world, but Jake and I were only three years apart. I remember being little and considering him to be my best friend. I mean he would play with me if everyone else was too busy. And god bless my other brothers, they were wonderful, but they never thought it cool to sit down with me and play dollies, but Jake always made the time.

Then, when I was five, Sophie was born and I had a new obsession. Jake got older, and I went to school, and Sophie got older, and then there were other girls, other friends to play with. I remember though, every night, Jake would come in to my room before Sophie and I went to sleep, and he would read us a story. I still felt a special bond between us. Before Soph came along, it was the two of us against the world.

Jake was always right there for me, never faltering to be the best big brother any girl could ask for. To this day, he's still like my best friend. I think a best friend is really the best judge on whether or not someone is happy.

As we got older, Jake always told me he was happy. Maybe I believed him too, cause I had nothing to compare him to. Then, one day, he called me up and told me about this girl that he met. When I heard his voice, I knew how stupid I was. He had never really been happy, at least not until that moment."

Cassandra smiled warmly. Despite how well she knew Jake, she had never heard the stories of him playing with Harper. Her sister-in-law's words were beautiful. She placed her hand on Jake's arm. She turned to look at him and thought she saw a tear in his eye, but decided to ignore it. She knew how he felt about his pride. Harper continued.

"The first time I met Cassie, it was the fourth of July. I was havin' a barbeque, and Jake brought her over to meet everyone. The second he stepped in the door, I knew just how stupid I had been all those years. When Jake came into my house that day, I saw the brother I forgot I had. I saw my best friend who ran around the backyard playing rodeo with me. I saw my brother happy.

His smile was gigantic. He held himself up all high and tall. When he said hello, there was a new quality to his voice, and it wasn't just his country accent slightly changing. The truest test was when he looked at Cassie to introduce her. There was a twinkle in his eye that I'd never saw, not from him at least. Actually, I recognized the look, cause it was the look my husband gives me."

She looked down to smile at Ethan.

"What I'm getting at here in all my ramblin', is that there is no one, and nothin' on this Earth that makes my brother happier than his lovely fiancée. As his sister, and his best friend, I could not be more thrilled that them two found each other. She makes his life brighter, and watching them together I see why. They just fit. They're so perfect together. Just lookin' at them, even if they're complete strangers to ya', you can tell how in love they are. I mean Lord I don't think I've ever seen them stand more than two inches apart."

This won a few laughs, as everyone knew how true it was. Cassandra found herself crying now too. Everything Harper said of Jake was true of her two. Her life as bright and beautiful and it was all because of him.

"So, I'd like to ask y'all now to raise your glasses, and join me in congratulatin' the happy couple. May this new part of their journey be just as bright and full of love as they have always been together."

Everyone raised their glasses and cheered. Cassandra cried and kissed Jake, who was most definitely also crying.

The lounge singer, who had been quietly crooning all night, tapped his microphone. All heads turned to the stage.

"I'd like to dedicate this next song to the happy couple" he said "Congratulations, and I wish you both a lifetime of happiness."

The band behind him began to plat a jazzy tune. That had been the trend so far. In New York especially, no one could escape the sounds of Sinatra.

 _Someday, when I'm awfully low_ …

Cassandra smiled. She had always liked this song. She was about to turn back to her appetizer when she saw Jake stand up next to her. He was holding out his hand.

"May I have this dance ?" he asked

"Jake there's no dance floor" she retorted.

"Oh come on!" he exclaimed. "They just dedicated a song to us and we're not gonna dance?!"

Cassandra burst out laughing at his goofiness. He had her. She took his hand and stood up from the chair. There was a slight gap in between their table and the one behind them, big enough for them to dance.

They started to sway back and forth, Cassandra giggling the whole time.

 _Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm_

The couple knew that every eye in the room was on them at the moment. Cassandra laughed again, and buried her head in Jake's shoulder, embarrassed and delighted all at once.

 _There is nothing for me, but to love you, and the way you look tonight_

The music picked up, and Jake started to bounce more, making a complete and total fool of himself. Cassandra continued to sway and looked away from him.

 _And that laugh wrinkles your nose, touches my foolish heart_

As Cassandra's laughter died down, Jake stopped. The music steadied again, and he began to dance with her for real. There were no corny faces or stupid dance moves. As they slowed down, all of the other guests slowly began to disappear from the room

 _Lovely, never never change_

Cassandra thought about everything Harper had said. She thought about everything she had told Melody, and her parents, she thought about every word Jake had ever said to her. She couldn't ever remember being happier than this. She didn't know where her life would be if she had never found the library, met him.

As the music reached its end, the singer grew quieter. She suddenly became aware of a sweet voice whispering in her ear. Jake started to sing to her

 _Lovely, don't you ever change_

When she was younger she always wondered what it felt like to be blissfully in love, like they talked about in all the stories. Now she knew. This was it. This was love and it really was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

 _Keep that breathless charm, won't you please arrange it, cause I love you, just the way you look tonight._

The music reached its final bars. Jake stopped moving, and slowly dipped Cassandra down. He looked right into her eyes now, those wonderful blue eyes that were the most beautiful things he had ever seen

 _Just the way you look tonight_

As Jake brought Cassandra back up to standing, she kissed him, soft and sweet. Then they just stood there, frozen, their foreheads touching. Despite the surprise of it all, this party turned out to be the loveliest night they had had since getting engaged.

"I love you" Cassandra whispered.

"I love you too" Jake whispered back.

They stood still, continuing to hold each other, not even hearing the band finishing the music, or all of their family and friends cheering around them.

 **A/N: Ah I just love classic jazz. I realized this about a month ago. I thought I enjoyed listening to the music because it reminded me of going to family parties when I was little, but then it dawned on me that I just really love the genre of music. So yes, Cassandra and Jake danced to Frank Sinatra. All of those songs are so romantic, I just couldn't resist. Expect more as the fic goes on. By the way, if you haven't heard "The Way You Look Tonight" it'll be posted on the tag.**

 **Anyway, I don't know how quickly the next chapter will be out. I'll be writing a lot of one-shots in the next two weeks for the season 2 countdown. I will try my best, especially because this next chapter is what inspired the whole fic! I'm really enjoying writing this story, and I hope you're all enjoying reading it! Thanks to everyone leaving such kind reviews. They mean so much to me. Until next time my little LITs!**


	7. Say Yes

**A/N: Wow. Sorry for the wait. After I posted that last chapter, my school life got super busy, and I also got focused on lots of one shots based off of season 2, which I am loving! Anyway, enjoy Chapter 7: Say Yes  
**

"Oh come on Cass" Jake whined "Why can't I come?!"

Cassandra stood by the door of their apartment, grabbing her purse.

"Because" she explained "You're not supposed to see me in my dress before the wedding"

"But I can't wait" he complained "You're going to look so beautiful."

Cassandra stood on her tippy-toes and met her fiancé's eyes.

"Well then it'll be all the better when you do get to see me" she smiled and pecked him on the lips. A car horn sounded from outside.

"That's the girls!" she exclaimed. "I gotta go." As she turned to leave, Jake grabbed her shoulder and turned her back around to face him.

"Wait" he said. He kissed her deeply, "Pick something as beautiful as you." he whispered. Cassandra grinned, blissful at being so loved. After staring at Jake for another moment, she left the apartment and walked to the cab that had pulled up in front.

Melody, Eve and Samantha waited for her inside, smiling widely.

"You ready Cassie?" Samantha asked excitedly.

"Ready as I'll ever be" the redhead exclaimed.

"God, we're finding your wedding dress" Melody exclaimed. "I've been dreaming about doing this with you since you were two!"

"Harper and Sophie are meeting us at the shop correct?" Cassie asked, buckling her seatbelt.

"Yes" Eve confirmed. "Alright. Lets get going"

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of Kleinfeld Bridal. Jake's sisters waited for them in front of the shop, beaming. Cassandra embraced her future in-laws and took a deep breath.

"Shall we go in?" she asked.

"Whenever you're ready" Harper replied.

"Hello ladies" An attendant greeted them as they entered the shop. "Can I help you?"

"We have an appointment for Cassandra Cillian" Cassie explained.

"Alright" the woman said, checking the information in the computer. "Perfect. And who's our bride?" Cassie raised her hand and smiled. The word still took her off guard.

"Well then" the attendant continued. "Congratulations. Let me help you to one of our couches, and a consultant should be with you shortly"

* * *

A few minutes later, the group waited patiently, sitting amongst hundreds of gowns.

"Wow" Cassie gasped. "How am I ever gonna choose one?"

"You'll know Cassie" Samantha assured her. "Trust me on that. They'll put that gown on you, and immediately you're gonna be able to picture yourself next to Jake on that altar, and you'll just know."

"I can vouch for that too Red" Eve added "I mean, I know I didn't wear a gown, but when I put on that dress, I knew it was what I'd be marrying Flynn in." Cassie smiled

"Well hopefully that moment will come today" Just then, a woman walked out to greet them.

"Hi I'm Alexis" she said. "I'll be helping you today. So where's Cassandra?"

Cassie raised her hand and smiled shyly.

"Great! Congratulations! So do you have any ideas about what kind of dress you'd like?"

"Oh well, I want a gown" Cassandra began. "Big skirt, but not really a lot of tulle. Oh! And I'd live to have some sort of flowers on it."

"Alright then" Alexis said. "Follow me and we can get started!"

* * *

Half an hour later, Cassandra stood in front of a mirror, turning left and right, inspecting the gown she currently had on. It was a shimmery white gown with silver-like flowers sewn down the top layer of the skirt, and even laced into the bottom. Like all the others before it, it was gorgeous, but something just wasn't quite right.

"I don't know" she speculated. "What do you guys think?"

"It's beautiful" Sophie suggested. "But I mean, you've looked gorgeous in everything" Everyone else seemed to agree. They weren't helping much.

"Maybe if the neckline was higher…" Harper added.

"You're not smiling enough" Eve pointed out. "You're always beaming about everything, and I'm not seeing that here." Leave it to the Guardian to figure out what was wrong.

"I can't even say there's anything wrong with it, but it just…"

"You're not in love with it" Eve cut her off. "Go try on the next one. Trust me Cassandra"

Cassandra smiled at her. Out of everyone there, Eve knew her the best. Sure she'd known Melody and Samantha forever, but they'd been apart for years, and whether she liked to admit it or not, it would take time before they really knew each other again. Eve had known her from the moment her life changed. She knew _this_ Cassandra, and she knew what she needed.

"Thank you Colonel" Cassandra smiled, and followed Alexis back into the dressing room.

Five minutes passed, and she came out again. Utter silence came from the couch as everyone stared at her.

"That's the one" Eve whispered.

"How do you know?" Melody asked.

"Look at her face"

Cassandra stood up on the platform and immediately giggled at the sight of herself in the mirror. She didn't know why, but this dress looked perfect. There was no reason behind it; it just looked so right on her, like she was meant to wear it.

The dress was strapless, the neckline coming straight across her chest. You could see the horizontal lines on the boddess, like there were strips of fabric just wrapped around her. The skirt flowed out loose and light. The lace pattern sewn in looked like rose petals falling down the dress.

"This is perfect" she muttered. "It's just… perfect."

"Turn around so everyone can see"

Slowly, Cassandra turned to face the group. Sophie gasped. Harper's hands flew to her face. Eve grinned with a sense of pride. Melody looked as if she was gonna cry.

"You look breathtaking Cassie" Samantha exclaimed.

"My brother is going to cry when he sees you walking down that aisle" Harper cried.

"Should we jack you up?" Alexis asked. Cassandra laughed and nodded.

She closed her eyes as Alexis pinned her hair to one side and clipped in a short veil. She added a flower clip to the side of it as well as some clip on earrings.

Finally she let go, and Cassandra opened her eyes. The second she caught sight of herself in the mirror, she burst into tears.

"This is it" she muttered, nodding furiously and struggling to get a word out. "This is my dress"

The tears didn't stop. She was sobbing then: audibly.

"What is it Cassie?" Samantha asked.

"It's just…look at me. I'm a bride. I never thought I'd make it here"

With that, everyone was up off the couch, drowning her in hugs. She looked in the mirror again, and thought that she had never looked so beautiful. She just picked out her _wedding dress._ She was going to get a _wedding_.

 **A/N: Hope you liked it LITs! Check the tumblr tag for the dress, which I posted once, before this fic was even a thing, but I'll put it up again. Until next time!**


	8. Where We Say I Do

**A/N:Sorry for the long wait you guys! I was super busy during the holiday season, and was also involved with writing my Christmas collection. I'm back now though, and I finally found the muse for this chapter. Enjoy!  
**

Jake and Cassandra were hand in hand, walking through the barn in Oklahoma where all of Jake's siblings had been married.

"Well the dance floor would be right here in the center" the owner said. "And we'd set tables all around the space. We could string lights all around the beams up there. I know it looks plain now, but the room illuminates quite beautifully. I'm sure you remember Mr. Stone"

"Yeah" Jake agreed. To his dismay, the venue was right in the middle of the town where he grew up. In that little town, everyone knew everyone. He'd seen over a dozen weddings in this space. He was only looking here to appease his family.

Cassandra looked around the space, trying to imagine what the woman was describing. She _could_ picture it, at least somewhat, but something didn't feel exactly right.

"And that pretty much sums it up" the owner continued. "Do y'all have any questions for me?"

"Could we have a minute to talk alone?" Jake asked.

"Of course"

The couple turned and watched silently as their host walked out, until the barn door had closed behind her.

"So" Cassandra began "What do we think?"

"Well I can't argue that it's a beautiful space when it's all done up" Jake said. "but I don't know. There's something about getting married in the place where my whole family did that rubs me the wrong way"

"Well I can't say it's ideal, but it doesn't really matter to me _where_ we get married, just that we do."

"Of course not Cassie; I'd marry you at a dingy gas station and be happy. It's just that you were the first part of my life that was different. I'm not the man I was when I lived here, and I don't wanna be that man when we get married."

"Jake" Cassandra turned and grabbed both of his hands in her own. He tried to look at the floor, but she released his hand for a moment to gently lift his chin and force him to meet her gaze.

"No matter where we get married" she said gently. "No matter who or what is surrounding us, you are _not_ that man. You've never been, not really. You know that, and I know that and that's all that matters. You are Doctor Jacob Stone, you're a Librarian, you're my fiancée, and I love you."

Jake smiled gently and leaned in to quickly kiss her on the lips.

"Did I ever tell you how lucky I am to love you?" he sighed.

"A million times" she laughed. She released one of his hands and turned to look around the space again.

"This really would make a beautiful wedding hall" she said. "And besides, you've got a lot of family here. It would be hard to fly them all into New York"

"But you've got people coming from New York Cassie, and our best friends are there too"

"I don't have as many people as you Jake, and our friends can just use the back door."

Jake sighed and looked around, remembering the wedding of all his siblings and his friends. Every time was the same, the barn decked up in lights as all the guests square danced around the floor. Despite his false identity, he always did have a great time, and he never doubted that the happy couple was indeed happy.

"We could make this totally our own Jake" Cassandra explained. "The centerpieces, the music, the lighting, it'll be different than the other weddings you've seen here: I promise."

"You sure you'd be happy having it here?" he asked. He was warming up to the idea, but he still worried about her. She deserved the perfect wedding.

"Jake" she sighed, exasperated at repeating herself so many times. "I've told you. All my dreams will be coming true that night just because I get to spend the rest of my life with you. When we're dancing , I won't notice if we're in a barn or Buckingham Palace. I'll just be focused on _you_ "

"You really mean that?"

"Let me prove it to you" Cassandra smiled and dragged Jake towards the center of the room, yanking him into a dancing position.

The room was completely silent, but they swayed back and forth, staring into each other's eyes. Jake got so caught up in the moment, that he didn't even notice the lack of music. Smiling he turned Cassandra around and listened to the sweet sound of her laugh. Following through, he lifted her up and spun her around in a circle in the air. She squealed until he placed her back gently on the ground.

Suddenly, the barn door opened and the venue owner interrupted the silence.

"Oh I'm sorry" she exclaimed, finding them leaning on each other and laughing. Hearing the third voice, the couple fell back into a normal position and straightened themselves out.

"Have you made your decision"

Jake and Cassandra looked at each other and smiled, their private dance being the final deciding point.

"Yes" Jake said, grabbing Cassandra's hand and pulling her in close next to him. "Let's go sign the papers."


	9. The Caterer

**A/N:Just a quick fun little chapter. Hope you enjoy!  
**

Cassie and Jake waited patiently in the empty restaurant where they were testing one of their catering options. Ezekiel on the other hand, was growing antsier by the minute.

"Where are they?" he whined, jumping up and down around the room.

"They'll get here when they get here Jones!" Jake shouted. "Will you sit down? They're going to kick us out of here!"

"Remind me again why we invited him?" Cassandra whispered, leaning in to her fiancée.

"Because unfortunately, we love him and we're good people"

Cassandra laughed and placed a kiss on his cheek just as Flynn came walking through the door.

"Hey!" he panted. "Sorry I'm late"

"Finally!" Ezekiel shouted. Cassandra shot him a death glare.

"It's fine" Jake assured Flynn. "Where's Eve?"

"Oh she stayed home" Flynn explained. "Wasn't feeling too well"

"Is she okay?" Cassandra asked. If something was wrong, she'd abandon the day's endeavor immediately. The Colonel's safety was way more important than her wedding.

"Yeah she was just throwing up a little this morning. She even feels better now, but she didn't wanna risk it. I was going to stay home with her, but she insisted that I come for you guys. I asked Jenkins to check in on her every so often"

Cassandra was about to interject when the chef walked into the room.

"Everyone here now?" she asked.

"Yes" Jake said "Let's go" He took Cassandra's hand and walked with her towards the kitchen. She smiled at him and turned her attention towards the day, trying to ignore the secret that she was sure she had figured out.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the chef was bringing out the pasta course to the group.

"Alright" she said. "On plate A we have a three-cheese baked ziti and that's without meat, plate B is the meat option, plate C is a traditional spaghetti carbonara, and on plate D we have pumpkin ravioli"

"Ooh!" Flynn cooed. "Pumpkin ravioli: _that_ sounds good"

Two seats down, Cassandra sat frozen still.

"What's wrong darling?" he asked. Her gaze seemed to be set upon the last plate. On the other side of her, Jones was dying of laughter. Jake gave him a death glare, still not understanding the situation.

"I think there's something your fiancée hasn't told you about herself" Jones teased.

"Cassie?" Jake questioned.

"I have an irrational fear of ravioli" Cassandra whispered, barely loud enough for even herself to hear.

"What?"

"I have an irrational fear of ravioli!" She shouted. Immediately she covered her mouth, not meaning for the remark to come out that loud. "Ravioli just trigger some bad memories for me. Okay?" she continued, more quietly this time. "We'll talk about it later I just…I get upset around them"

"So we're ditching the ravioli then?" the chef asked. She was doing her best to remain impartial. She'd seen some odd groups come in here, but she had to say a fear of ravioli took the cake.

"If you wouldn't mind" Jake nodded, rubbing his hand up and down Cassandra's arm to try and calm her down. "Besides, Italians don't put _pumpkin_ in ravioli, what the hell even is that?"

The chef picked up the plate and walked back to the kitchen shyly. Flynn reached out to her with his fork, eyeing the dish with big puppy dog eyes.

"Wait" he whined. "I'll eat that if you don't want to waste it"

Jake thought he'd seen the last of the unexpected events of the day when Eve came walking through the door.

"Hi!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry about before. I'm feeling better now and I wanted to be here for you two." She took a seat next to Flynn.

"Eve sweetie what are you doing here? I thought we agreed you should stay home and rest" He placed emphasis on the last words.

"I'm fine honey really" She sounded like she was forcing a smile.

"But…"

"I'm fine" Eve yelled through her teeth, and soon husband and wife were arguing, whispering at each other things Cassandra couldn't make out, and Flynn gesturing wildly.

Suddenly, the chef cleared her throat. The entire group turned back to face her.

"Are we ready to taste the pasta now, sans pumpkin ravioli?" She had tried hard not to sound annoyed, but the last straw was approaching quickly.

"Pumpkin ravioli?" Eve quipped. She sounded disgusted. Flynn eyed her nervously, praying that she wouldn't start throwing up again. He really didn't know why she'd dragged herself here.

"Can we just try the pasta now?!" Cassandra yelled.

Everyone nodded and remained silent as they dug their forks into the various dishes. The events of the course were soon forgotten, and the tasting continued well into the afternoon.


End file.
